Device for chilling liquid comestibles



April 1951 A. M. ZALKIND 2,550,633

DEVICE FOR CHILLING LIQUID comzs'muas Filed July 15, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet1 IN VEN TOR.

April 24,- 1951 A. M. ZALKIND DEVICE FOR CHILLING L IQUID COMESTIBLES 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 15, 1944 II 0\ lllfflf'II/l'l'llll pill!!!llfllllll' ill! A vllllllrlli'llll A IN VEN TOR.

Patented Apr. 24, 1951 DEVICE FOR CHILLING LIQUID COMESTIBLES Albert M.Zalkind, Arlington, Va.

Application July 15, 1944, Serial No. 545,055

1'7 Claims.

This invention relates to devices for chilling liquid comestibles andmore particularly to those devices in which ice is used for obtainingthe cooling effect. It is an object of my invention to provide a,container adapted to hold a quantity of water for freezing into an icemass therein when the container is placed in a refrigerator, andproriding such container with means for directing liquid comestibles toandfrom the interior thereof whereby the comestibles are chilled bycontact with the ice mass therein. Another object of my invention is toprovide a device for chilling liquid comestibles rapidly andconveniently. A further object of my invention is to provide a structureadapted for ready rinsing to enhance cleanliness thereof. A stillfurther object of my invention is to provide a compact structuresuitable to be manufactured by mass production methods.

In accordance with the above objects, I provide various embodiments of adevice having features in common, viz., a substantially rectangularcontainer of sheet aluminum or equivalent material having at least onelarge flat exterior surface for contact with the freezing shelf of arefrigerator and adapted to have a quantity of water poured into theinterior of the container through an opening provided at one endthereof. By placing the container thus charged with water in ahorizontal position with the large flat area in contiguity with thefreezing shelf Of a refrigerator, I obtain a block or slab of icetherein having a relatively large surface area exposed in the interiorof the container. The container may then be removed from therefrigerator and rested in substantially vertical position, whereby aquantity of relatively warm liquid comestible may be conveniently pouredthrough the opening into contiguity with the slab of ice. Inasmuch asthe container is substantially closed except for the end opening, thecomestible is retained therein and becomes chilled by contact with theice, and the container may be agitated to effect rapidity of heattransfer. After the comestible is thus chilled, it may be poured out ofthe container into a tumbler or other drinking vessel.

Other objects and features Of my invention will be apparent from thedetailed description which follows with reference to the appendeddrawings in which:

Fig. 1 shows an embodiment of my invention, in the preferred form,adapted to retain two parallel slabs of ice; I

Fig. 2 shows a section through 1-2 of Fig.1;

Fig. 3 is a section through 3-3 of Fig. 2;

; Fig. 4 shows a modified funnel for use in conjunction with variousembodiments of my device;

Fig. 5 shows a further embodiment of my invention adapted for use inconjunction with the modified funnel of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 shows a still further embodiment of my invention; and I Fig. 7shows a section through XX of Fig. 6. With reference to Figs. 1, 2, and3, a. container I is shown of substantially rectangular-shape having afunnel-shaped opening 2 with a constricted portion 2d at one end thereofand having relatively large fiat wall areas 3 and 4 and side walls Stand6. A plurality of ice retaining lugs 3a, b, c, and d, and 4a, b, c, andd, substantially wing-shaped, as shown, are secured to the interiorsurfaces of the walls 3 and 4 ofv the container by soldering, spotwelding, or the like. A spreader bar 9 is secured between the walls 5and 6 interiorly of the container and disposed below the constrictedportion of the funnel-shaped opening 2. Ice blocks or slabs A and Bhaving substantially flat parallel surfaces facing interiorly are shownretained within container l jby virtue of having been frozen around theretaining lugs. The manner of obtaining the ice slabs A and B in thecontainer I is as follows: with the container in a substantiallyvertical position, as shown in Fig. 1, a charge of water is pouredthrough the opening 2 and then frozen into the slab of ice A by placingthe container with the surface 3 horizontal upon the freezing shelf inof a refrigerator, as shown in Fig. 3. It will be understood that theinitial charge of Water, can be any amount up to the point where itcommences to spill over the constrictionjZaQbf the funnel shaped openingwhen the container I. is horizontally disposed on the freezing shelfjlll. After the slab A has been obtained, the container is removed fromthe freezing shelf and is once more held in a vertical position andanother charge of water poured in, the slab of ice A being retained inposition by means of the lugs 3a, b, c, and d. The container is thenreturned to the freezing shelf in inverted relation to the view shown inFig. 3 so that the surface 4 is now in contact with shelf Ill, wherebythe new charge of water will be frozen into the ice slab B and retainedin the container by the lugs to, b, c,-and d. In this manner I obtain acontainer having two relatively large substantially parallel ice blockseach filling approximately one-third the interior volume of thecontainer with a space therebetween of approximately one-third theinterior volume thereof. 'In use, thecontainer l is held vertical(Fig. 1) and a warm comestible poured through the opening 2 into thespace between the i-ce slabs A and B, impinging during the pouringprocess (Fig. 2) against the spreader bar 9 which has the effect ofcausing the comestible to be directed against the ice slabs at the topthereof and cascade downwardly in contact therewith. The container maybe agitated to hasten the chilling effect and when suitably cooled thecomestible may be poured out through opening 2 into a drinking vessel.

Melting of the ice slabs takes place during the process of cooling acomestible, and sufiicient melting may occur to loosen the grip of thewalls of the container on the ice slabs. Due, however, to therestraining action of the retaining lugs,- the ice slabs are preventedfrom floating upwardly to choke or constrict the opening 2a. Should theslabs break away from the lugs due to substantial melting or roughhandling, bar 9 will effectively block them from closing the opening 2awhen the chilled comestible is being poured out of the container;

With particular reference to Fig. 2, the base of the container l isshown as having a central aperture I2 closed by a closely fitting plugl3. The aperture and plug are provided for the purpose of enhancingrinsibility of the device, since by removing plug I3 flow of water froma sink tap can be directed through the opening 2, draining downwardlythrough th container and washing the ice surfaces and the walls, theplug being removed to permit continuous draining. The par ticularfunction of the plug is to prevent leakage through the aperture when thecontainer is being charged with water for freezing therein in the mannerheretofore described. Also, providing an aperture as shown renders thedevice capable of having a comestible continuously poured therethrough,container 1 being held vertically over or resting on the edges of areceiving receptacle and the chilled comestible draining thereinto.Rinsing may also be accomplished in the same manner that a bottle orother elongated vessel would be rinsed, namely, by pouring clean waterthereinto and shaking the container, thereby agitating thewater to scourthe interior.

After rinsing, the container is charged with a quantity of water tocompensate for loss of ice due to melting, the correct quantity beingdetermined by pouring an excessive quantity of water therein while it isin the vertical position and then holding it with either wall 3 orlhorizontal to permit the excess to drain out through the opening 2. Theice slabs A and B are replenished alternately in this manner, fresh icebeing formed adhering to one or the other of the ice slabs after eachuse.

In Fig. 4 is shown a modified flow directing means comprisin afunnel-shaped structure l5 of generally trapezoidal configuration havinga depending channel [6 provided with a plurality of perforations [1. Thestructure shown in Fig. 4 may be used in conjunction with the containerI by being inserted in the funnel-shaped opening 2 with the bottom ofthe channel 16 resting on the spreader bar 9, for the purpose ofstraining the comestible. Further, the structure shown in Fig. 4 couldbe used in conjunction with a container in which the upwardly flaredposition of the opening 2 and the spreader bar Bare eliminated, asillustrated in Fig. 5. By elimination of the upwardly flaring portion ofthe opening 2, the over all length of the container is shortened, itbeing understood that the modified flow directing means is removed whenthe container is placed on the freezing shelf of a refrigerator.

With reference to Figs. 6 and '7, a substantially rectangular container20 is disclosed having a completely open upper end 2| adapted to havefitted therein, with sliding, but sealing fit, a plug 23 having afunnel-like interior structure 24 and ice retaining grids 25 and 2Gintegrally secured thereto protruding into the container 20. A container23 is provided having an opening 29 adapted to fit over the opposite endof the plug 23, with a sliding, but sealing fit, as shown. A block ofice C is frozen in the interior of the container 20 around the grids 25and 26 in the same manner as the block A or B was frozen in thecontainer in the form shown in Fig. 1, the container 28 being removedfrom the plug 23, and not forming part of the structure, when thecontainer 20 is in the refrigerator. In use, a warm comestible is pouredinto the container 28 which is adapted to rest on the end 3E, and thecontainer 29 having been removed from the refrigerator, is held invertical alignment over container 23 and joined thereto by sliding plug23 into aperture 29. As viewed on Fig. 5, the assembled structure wouldthen be upside down. The whole structure is then turned end over endseveral times and shaken so that the comestible is thoroughly agitatedand uniformly chilled, whence the assembled structure is again heldvertical permitting the comestible to drain entirely into container 28,the structure then being disassembled and the chilled comestible pouredout of container 23 as desired. In this manner, a volume of comestiblelarger than the volume of free space in container 2s may be convenientlychilled. Plug 23 may be made of plastic material, or the equivalent, andthe grids 25 and 26 of flexible stainless steel, so that as thecomestible warms the sides of the container 20 and the ice block C meltsaway therefrom, it is free to swing in space although re strained fromfloating upwardly to constrict the opening, whereby th comestible hasaccess to substantially the entire surface area of the ice block.Alternatively, the rids 25 and 26 may be hinged in any suitable mannerto the plug 23 to perform the same function. It is to be understood thatalthough two grids 25 and 26 are shown, in practice the device is notlimited to any specific number. A feature of the structure resides inthe fact that, after use, plug 23 may be pulled out of the container 23,the ice block C remaining attached to the plug and being exposed forconvenient and thorough rinsing.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a device for chilling liquids, a thin walled container adapted.for retaining a quantity of water therein and having a heat transferelement of extended area for freezing said water into an ice mass, saidcontainer being substantially closed except for opening means to permitingress and egress of liquids to be chilled by contact with said icemass, and means adjacent said opening means for receiving impingement ofa liquid to be chilled to direct said liquid against said ice mass, saidlatter means being inside said container.

2. In a device for chilling liquids,'the combination of a firstcontainer adapted to retain a fiuid to be frozen therein, said containerhaving a relatively large, substantially fiat area through which heat iswithdrawn from said fluid, and a second container, and means adaptingsaid containers to be sealingly associated and providing communicationtherebetween whereby a liquid to be chilled may be retained in saidcontainers and exchanged therebetween, said means comprising a memberslidably and sealingly engaging openings in said containers and havingan aperture therethru.

3. A device as set forth in claim 2 including means secured to saidmember and'protruding toward the center of said element for holding abody of frozen, normally liquid material in fixed position with respectto said element; the straight side of said mouth being located in aplane cutting through the .interior of the container in parallelism withsaid element and the first and the second mentioned means being arrangedto cooperate with said wall structure to define a space to be occupiedby said body of frozen ma 'terial, with a surface thereof providing onewall of a chamber in communication with said mouth portion.

5. A device for refrigerating a potable liquid, said device comprising acontainer including means forming a bottom at one end thereof, meansforming a mouth, having a straight side, at the opposite end of saidcontainer, wall structure providing a flat heat transfer element ofextended area and connecting said means, a body of frozen ediblerefrigerant having a substantially flat surface, and means carried bysaid heat transfer element holding said body in fixed relation to saidelement with the flat surface of said body forming one wall of a chamberand in communication with said mouth for contact reception of thepotable liquid to be refrigerated.

6. A device for refrigerating a potable liquid, said device comprising acontainer including means forming a bottom at one end thereof, meansforming a mouth at the opposite end of said container, wall structureproviding a flat heat transfer element of extended area and connectingsaid means, said mouth extending substantially the breadth of said heattransfer element, a body of frozen edible refrigerant having asubstantiallyflat surface within said container, and means carried bysaid container holding said body with a fiat surface thereof forming onewall of a chamber in communication with said mouth for receiving thepotable liquid to be refrigerated.

7; The method of chilling a liquid comestible which comprises partiallyfilling a container with an edible refrigerant, placing said containeron a refrigerator freezing shelf to solidify said edible refrigerant,said container being oriented when placed on said shelf so as to freezesaid refrigerant in a slab having a maximum of free surface area exposedto the unfilled volume of said container, removing said container fromsaid freezing shelf after said refrigerant has been frozen, introducinga liquid comestible into said container into contiguity with said freesurface, and withdrawing said liquid comestible from said container in achilled condition.

7 8. In a device for chilling liquids, a container having a heatexchange element of extended area, said container being substantiallyclosed except for an opening at one end thereof, a closure for saidopening comprising a member removably engaging said opening, an aperturein said member providing communication with the interior of saidcontainer, and retainer means secured to said'member and protruding intosaid container and being constructed and arranged to become embedded inan ice block formed there- 9. In a device for chilling comestibles, acontainer having a heat exchange element of extended area, retainermeans secured to said container and protruding into the interior thereofconstructed and arranged to be embedded in a slab of ice formed thereinand to hold said ice in fixed relation with respect to said container,said container having a pair of opposing end walls disposed on oppositesides of said heat exchange element, and apertures in said end wallscon- -tructed and arranged so that a comestible may be poured throughsaid container in contiguity with said ice slab.

10. A device for chilling liquids comprising a container having at leastone relatively large flat heatconductive Wall for freezing a refrigerantinto an integral ice mass therein, said con tainer having an opening forintroducing liquids therein, and ice retaining means disposed withinsaid container for preventing egress of said ice mass, said meansbeing'arranged to permit motion of said ice mass therein but preventblocking of said opening by said ice mass.

ll. A device as set forth in claim 10 including ice retainer meanscomprising an element secured interiorly of said container and disposedso as to protrude into said refrigerant during freezing thereof.

12. In a device as set forth in claim 10, wherein said ice retainingmeans comprises a bar extending across said opening.

13. A device for chilling comestibles comprising a container having twoparallel heat conductive walls extending in the direction of the longestdimension of said container, said container having an openingintermediate said walls and spaced therefrom, means disposed within saidcontainer for securing an ice slab frozen therein restrained fromsubstantial movement, the disposition of said opening being such thatapproximately one-third the volume of said container maybe used toretain a liquid refrigerant when said container is resting on eitherheat conductive wall.

14. A device for chilling comestibles comprising a container ofsubstantially rectangular shape and having an end wall with an elongatedopening therethrough, a detachable funnel-like member having a dependingchannel portion insertable in said opening and co-extensive therewith,said container having another end wall opposite said first end wall onwhich it is adapted to rest, and means within said container forsecuring an ice slab therein in a position substantially parallel tosaid depending channel.

, 15. In a device for chilling liquid comestibles, a thin walled,rectangular, metallic container having a heat exchange wall adapted tocontact the freezing shelf of a refrigerator, said container having anend wall and being substantially closed except for a normally open portin said end wall so disposed relative said heat exchange wall as toeffect retention of a predetermined quantity of water in said containerby effecting spilling of excess Water when said Wall is oriented forfreezing contact, so as to insure existence of a space above thesubsequently formed ice mass wherein liquid comestibles may beintroduced for chilling in contiguity with said ice mass, said openinghaving a dimension in a direction perpendicular to said heat exchangewall offrom'one-quarter to one-half the depth of said "container,including means disposed interiorly .ofsaid container andadapted torestrain said ice mass therein from blocking said port.

16. .In a device for chilling comestibles, a container having aplurality of heat exchange elements of extended area, the constructionand arrangementbeingsuch that said elements may be selectively broughtinto engagement with the freezing shelf of a refrigerator by orientationof said container for freezing quantities of liquid introduced into saidcontainer at different times, andmeans in said container for retainingthe resultant ice masses in spaced relation, including an .end wall onsaid container having an opening disposed intermediate said heatexchange elements, said opening being elongated so as to besubstantially coextensive with a transverse dimension of said container.

17. In a device for chilling comestibles, a container having a pluralityof heat exchange elements of extended area, the construction andarrangement being such that said elements may be selectively broughtinto engagement with the freezing shelf of a refrigerator by orientationof said container for freezing quantities of liquid introduced into saidcontainer at different times, and means in said container for retainingthe resultant ice masses in spaced relation, wherein said retainingmeans comprise angularly shaped elements secured to respective walls andarranged to be embedded in respective ice slabs during the freezingthereof.

ALBERT M. ZALKIND.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 800,401 Rounds Sept. 26, 19051,225,893 Turner May 15, 1917 1,693,377 Folger Nov. 27, 1928 1,722,396Reiber July 30, 1929 1,920,515 Marsden Aug. 1, 1933 1,949,265 BehringerFeb. 27, 1934 2,039,736 Munters May 5, 1936 2,187,387 'Irigg Jan. 16,1940 2,256,973 Doherty Sept. 23, 1941 2,310,468 Short 1 Feb. 9, 1943EOlEtlEiIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 136,149 Australia Jan. 10, 1934

